Doctor Who Cast: Where Are They Now?

It is built into Doctor Who's very nature that every few years the main cast will be refreshed to zhuzh up (or to use the technical term: regenerate) the series. As such, despite the all-important role of the head writer who guides the show, it could be said that the cast is the most significant aspect of the series. If the Doctor or the companion is poorly cast then that whole era of the show is a write-off. Don’t look at us, we’re not naming any names…

Thankfully, 21st century Doctor Who has had a steady stream of high-quality companions and a quintet (we’re including John Hurt) of superbly-cast Doctors. The Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh incarnations, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith respectively, have raced to the tops of many fans' 'best Doctor' lists and the word is always out on who is the greatest companion of the modern era.

Likewise, though they won't be covered here, the supporting cast has also been top-notch with companions' families - such as Donna's granddad Wilf played by the loveable Bernard Cribbins - providing a root to modern-day Earth. And a mention must go to the much-missed Elisabeth Sladen, still the definitive companion as Sarah Jane, who recurred on the series under David Tennant's reign and starred in her own spin-off show until her untimely death in 2011.

But while Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman currently have the keys to the TARDIS, what have the previous main cast members been up to recently? 

The Role: A recurring and enigmatic presence in Series Four and Five and then the revolving character of the story arc of Series Six, Alex Kingston played Professor River Song - the part-Time Lord daughter of Amy and Rory, and the Doctor's wife. 

Where Is She Now? Despite being a Brit, before Doctor Who Kingston was most famous in the States for her long-running role in medical drama E.R. Since her last appearance in Who, Kingston returned to American TV with a recurring part in superhero series Arrow as Dinah Lance, the mother of both Black Canaries, Sara and Laurel. She also appeared in Anna Friel vehicle American Odyssey (known simply as Odyssey for its broadcast in the UK). Alex can next be seen in Bukowski, the upcoming biopic of writer Charles Bukowski, as his mother, Katharine.

Oh, yeah, and then she will appear in a little thing called the Doctor Who Christmas special, where she will reprise the role of River Song opposite Peter Capaldi!